


The Burning Down

by scornfullearner



Series: Under the Covers [3]
Category: Game Grumps, Ninja Sex Party - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 08:02:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6649183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scornfullearner/pseuds/scornfullearner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lexi's POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starts when Danny comes home after MAGFest.

I woke up feeling the most relaxed I had been in what felt like ages. Waking up in Danny’s arms was one of my absolute favorite experiences. I felt his breath on the back of my neck, warm and steady. I didn’t want to move. The four days we had spent apart while he was at MAGFest were fading memories the longer I stayed wrapped in his arms. 

My phone’s alarm jolted me out of my comfort zone. Danny pulled me closer to him and groaned a “no” against my hair. 

“I have to,” I said with a sigh. “Even though I absolutely fucking hate it.” I shut off the alarm. 

“Since when?” Danny was alert now. 

“Since a while, I guess?” I hadn’t wanted to talk about how terrible my job made me feel. Then idea of saying it out loud made me feel like a failure. I had been a graphic design major before discovering my love of being behind the camera. My parents were not amused, but I assured them I would be fine. 

Danny sat up in bed and watched me as I rummaged through the closet. “What’s been going on?” 

“Oh, you know,” I shrugged, “doing the work of two people, playing errand girl, learning to hate the thing I love most in the world. But what can I do about it? It’s all I have right now.” 

“I’d fix it if I could,” Danny said softly. 

“I know.” 

“Can you not get into event photography? Weddings and stuff?” 

I scoffed. 

“In L.A.? Hell no. There are photographers everywhere here.” I chose my outfit for the day before continuing. “I picked up a few gigs a while back, but that’s it. I thought about trying to sell my shots. You know, like home decor kind of things. But I’d still have to do something because I’m no artistic professional.” 

Danny didn’t say anything. I didn’t blame him. 

 

******

I spent most of my work day cleaning up behind my trainee, Renee. I could not, for the life of me, understand why she was still on staff. I had been training her for two weeks because it took days for her to grasp the basic tasks of her job. The responsibilities she seemed to struggle with the most consisted of selecting the best photos from a session, choosing the sizes and amounts, printing, and cutting. 

“Again?” I asked, exasperated. 

“I’m sorry!”

“Renee, you’ve ‘accidentally’ deleted the photos of four different clients in two weeks. Regular clients. They may not ever come back.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. 

“Just pay more attention, okay?” 

The girl nodded. 

The rest of the day was not very busy. We had three appointments booked and a couple walk in sessions. After those, I made calls to clients whose photos were finished and ready for pick up. When closing time rolled around, I almost cheered. 

Mondays were long days for Danny, and everyone else on the Grump Team, so I did not expect him to be there when I woke up. What I did not expect was going two more days without seeing him. Though he made it a point to call or text often, it was still depressing to be alone again. 

When I got off work Thursday night, all I could think about was my bed. It had been a long day. The store owner, Steve, was interviewing photographers and he had me sit in on each interview. We were also unusually busy as far as photos sessions went. I was, however, finally confident in Renee’s ability to function without fucking it all up. But, God, I was tired. 

I was finally able to check my phone for messages when I was outside of the building. Danny had called. 

“Hey, you must be busy. It’s going to be another late night, but I miss you. Come by the office when you get off work? I have some good news to share with you.” 

His voice sounded like he was holding back excitement. 

There was no answer when I called him back, so I just drove over to the office. Barry met me at the door. He wrapped me into a hug. I squeezed him back. Because of how much time Brian spent with the Grump Team, I had kind of been adopted as an honorary Grump. They were all my best friends, but I had not seen any of them in weeks due to my work schedule.

“Danny’s still recording with Arin,” Barry stated. “They are getting ready to cover a few days away…” He trailed off. “Um…But, Ross and I are hanging out. You’re welcome to join.” 

“Sounds good,” I responded while fighting a yawn. “Got any food?” 

“Who do you think we are?” Barry laughed. “Of course we have food. Long day?” 

“Ugh. Yes.” 

I sat down with Barry and Ross at the wooden picnic-like table where I devoured three slices of pizza with no shame whatsoever. Ross idly drew on a napkin; Barry played games on his phone. It was nice to be around people I actually liked, even in silence. I felt myself relax. 

“How’ve you been?” Ross inquired. “You never call. You never write.” He gave me a nudge. 

“I’m surviving,” I chuckled. “I miss you guys, though.” 

“Lexi!” came Arin’s voice from behind me. He clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Glad you’re here! Please tell me these guys haven’t spilled the beans. Dan wanted to be the one to tell you the news.” 

“No. Well, almost.” I glanced at Barry who was blushing. 

Arms slid around me from behind. Hair tickled my cheek. 

“Hey, you,” Dan whispered. 

I leaned against him. 

“So, what’s your news?” I asked. 

“Oh my god!” Danny exclaimed as he stood up. “We’re going to play at the SXSW Gaming Awards as Starbomb next month!” 

“HOLY SHIT!” I shouted. “That’s fucking awesome! Congrats!” 

“Thanks! TWRP will be with us, too, so we’ll work in one of their songs and an NSP song!” 

“Fucking cool, guys. Fucking. Cool.” 

“You should come with us!” Arin said. 

“Yeah,” echoed Danny. 

“I’d have to check my schedule and clear it with my boss,” I grimaced. 

I stood up next to Danny. He immediately draped an arm over my shoulders. 

“You guys seriously deserve all of this. I’m so proud of you.” 

“That means a lot, Mom,” Arin said with a laugh. 

I was too tired to roll my eyes at him. I wrapped my arms around Danny’s waist. He was warm. I melted against him. 

“C’mon, baby.” Danny walked me to the next room. 

I made myself comfortable on the soft couch. Barry carefully placed a blanket over me as Danny pulled one of the giant bean bags over so he could sit by me. He lightly ran his fingers along my face. I didn’t want to stop feeling his touch, but sleep had become harder and harder to fight. When he started singing an old Skyhill song, I gave up all hope of staying awake. 

Danny was sleeping on the bean bag when I woke up. I couldn’t help but smile. He was curled up into a ball, one arm under his head. I got up as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb him. I found my bag where I left it in the kitchen. 

“Yes,” I breathed. 

Even though I had stopped taking pictures for fun a while back, I still carried my camera with me everywhere. I thanked myself as I moved around the bean bag snapping photos. 

I heard footsteps behind me, followed by snickers. Kevin, Ross, and Barry stood behind me. I waved them over and motioned for them to pose around the bean bag. They rushed to do so. I captured them making faces behind the sleeping Danny. Arin and Suzy joined for a few photos just before Danny started to wake up. 

“Scatter!” I whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Love, pain, and the whole crazy thing"  
> A Danny Sexbang dinner date and conflict...

I didn’t see Danny again until the next Tuesday. 

It was starting to wear on me how long we would go without more than five minutes on the phone and no physical contact. Memories of my relationship with Joe tried to creep into my mind. I forced myself to think of how Danny at least tried to involve me in what was going on. He kept me up to date on rehearsals and what games they were playing. Joe always had an excuse as to why he rarely kept in touch while away. 

I smelled food when I got to my apartment door. I slowly opened it, unsure of what to expect. The only light came from candles on the dining table in the kitchen. Two plates sat out. I let a laugh escape my lips when I realized what sat on them. Cheeseburgers and fries. 

Danny came down the hallway from my room wearing one of his famous silk robes and unicorn fuzzy slippers. 

“Hello there,” he said in true Danny Sexbang character complete with the breathy, faux seductive tone. “Welcome to my Sexy Dinner.” He swept an arm toward the table. “I do hope you enjoy the fine delicacy that is the cheeseburger. And those fries? They came straight from France.” 

I fell onto the couch in a fit of laughter. I had seen Danny in his character get-up many times before, but had never had it aimed at me before. I laughed even harder when he feigned hurt feelings. 

“Why, lady, I thought this was the way to your heart!” He feigned hurt feelings.

I rolled onto the floor. He lost his composure then and fell, laughing, onto the couch where I had just been.

“Oh! Oh, god!” I wheezed. “I fucking love you.” 

After a few moments, my breaths evened out. Danny reached down to brush a strand of hair away from my face. 

“I love you, too.” 

I felt a butterflies-in-the-stomach sort of flutter when he said it. It wasn’t the first time, but every time always felt just like the first. I smiled up at him. 

“That robe is ridiculous.”

“You love it.” 

“Maybe a little.”

I pushed myself up from the floor. I placed my knees on either side of Danny’s legs. I pushed my hands into his hair and tugged lightly to turn his face up toward mine. I kissed his forehead. When he closed his eyes, I kissed his eyelids. I moved on to his lips, where I lingered just above them. 

“Please,” he whimpered. 

He tried to lean forward to kiss me; my hands, still curled into his hair, held him back. I felt him stiffen against me. I was glad I chosen a skirt that morning. Apparently, so was he. 

I felt his hands move up my thighs toward my hips. My heart rate increased as he inched his way up. He moved a hand between my legs. I felt myself getting wetter and wetter with each passing second. He rubbed my clit in slow, torturous circular motions. 

I let go of his hair to grip the back of the couch. My forehead dropped to his shoulder. 

“I can tease, too,” he breathed into my ear. 

He slid one finger inside me and it was all I could do not to scream. He was being too gentle on purpose.

“Goddammit, Danny,” I managed to say. 

“Wanna play rough, huh?”

It was my turn to whimper. 

He pulled his hands away from me. 

“Get up,” he commanded. 

“What?”

“You heard me. Get up.” 

I did. 

“Turn around.” 

When I did as he said, he moved almost instantly. His hands were under my shirt and unsnapping my bra with blinding speed. Both hands were on my breasts as the bra fell to the floor. He moaned as he squeezed them. With his lips he found the spot on my neck that made my head spin right as he started to play with my nipples. 

My knees buckled, but he held me up. I had to work to breathe. 

He stepped backward, pulling me with him. He then led me to take one step to the right, placing me by the arm of the couch. He placed one hand on my back and gave me a gentle push. I leaned over the arm, enjoying this dominant side of Danny. With his other hand, he lifted my skirt up and untied his robe. 

“Oh, God!” I cried out as he grabbed my hips and plunged into me. I had never been bent over anything during sex before. 

Danny continued to thrust rhythmically, grunting each time. Something about those throaty sounds made the whole experience even more pleasurable. I knew he was about to finish when his speed increased. I was not ready for it to end. 

“Nooooo,” I moaned. 

“Don’t worry,” he assured. 

I arched my back when I felt his fingers on my clit again. Those fucking circles. I felt myself tighten around him. I gripped the couch cushions until my fingers felt like they would snap. My body shook as I orgasmed. Danny’s release followed within seconds. 

“You. Are. Amazing,” I panted. 

“Yeah. I know.” 

 

***

 

Another week went by with even less communication from Danny than before. He and Brian were working on the next Ninja Sex Party video on top of everything else their jobs required. I could no longer shake the feeling of loneliness and bitterness, no matter how many times I reminded myself that Danny was truly busy. Most of that came from my own work life, though. 

Steve had taken an interest in me that I was not comfortable with at all. He came up with reasons to call me into his office regularly. At first, he would tell me he had a task for me to do. I had been the one to run errands for him from time to time, but he was throwing more at me. Take the deposit, take these to the post office, pick up lunch, and so on. Things that would not bother me if I had been hired on to do those things. 

Red flags and mental alarms started blaring when he pinned a nickname on me. The man had hardly acknowledged my presence until a month or two prior and suddenly he was calling me “LexiBaby.” My skin crawled. 

I wanted nothing more than to talk to Danny about it, to get his advice. I would get responses to my texts hours after sending them. My calls went unanswered. I could only assume he was sleeping at the office or crashing with Brian, if he even slept. It was not uncommon for him to go days without sleep. 

The thought that he was putting work before sleep meant he was putting work before me. I felt like a spoiled brat, but I couldn’t stop thoughts like those from taking over. I was struggling to control most of my daily thoughts as it was. 

I sent a message at midnight, two nights before he was set to leave for Texas. I couldn’t sleep. Sobs shook my body. I felt so alone and confused. 

“I need you,” it said.

Hours later, I was finally about to fall asleep when he replied.   “You okay?” 

“I’ll survive.” 

The next afternoon, Danny surprised me on my lunch break. I was not at all happy about it, though. 

I was sitting in the McDonald’s next where I worked reading when he sat down next to me. I didn’t look up from my book, even though I had stopped reading. 

“Hey, baby,” he said cautiously, as if sensing my emotional rollercoaster. 

I made it a point to move slowly as I dog-eared the page and closed the book. I pushed it and my tray away from me before turning toward him. I forced myself to look into his eyes. 

“I didn’t expect to see you until you came back from SXSW.”

“You think I’d leave without seeing you?”

“Actually…” I trailed off. 

“Really, Lexi?” He raised an eyebrow at me. “What would make you think that?” 

“Oh, I don’t know. The fact that I was in the middle of a fucking anxiety attack last night and didn’t get a response from you until it was over. The fact that I’ve not seen you in person since last week. The fact that you’ve hardly made an effort to call.” 

Damn, I thought. I had not meant to unleash on him all at once. But once I started, I couldn’t stop. 

“Danny, I know you’re not Joe, and I know you don’t mean to make me feel this way, but I am truly starting to feel like I stepped out of one situation and into another exactly like it.” 

“Why haven’t you said anything before?”

I clenched my teeth to keep from shouting. 

“I’ve been trying! I’ve been trying to talk to you about things anyway. My calls go to voicemail and texts go unanswered. I know you’re busy, Danny, but I just…it hurts. I have so much going on that I can’t sort out and all I’ve wanted is you to be there.”

“You know you can come by the studio or the office.” 

“And do what, Danny? Sit around waiting for you while everyone else works? I can do that at home, in the comfort of my pajamas.” 

“What do you want me to do, Lexi?” he demanded. “I can’t just quit. I won’t quit. I’ve worked too hard for this.” 

“I don’t want you to quit,” I admitted. “I just want you to be available. At least a little bit.” 

“I’m here, now,” he offered. 

Hot tears welled up in my eyes; a few rolled down my cheeks. I didn’t know what to say. 

“I love you, Lexi.” He placed a hand on mine. “I”m sorry I’ve made you feel this way.”

I gave his hand a squeeze before I stood up. 

“I just need to sort out my brain.” 

“Lexi, don’t.” Danny grabbed my wrist as I turned to leave. “Don’t shut me out.” 

“Just give me some time.” 

And with that, I walked out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexi's boss attempts to move in on her. A new job is presented.

I was angry. Angry at myself, angry at my boss, angry at Danny. My body felt hot. My hands shook. I wished I was a smoker simply for something to take the edge off of what I was feeling. I knew what life dating Danny would be like when I jumped into the relationship. I knew that I could not ask him to up and quit, nor did I want that. I wanted him to reach goals and become the star he’d dreamed of becoming. 

I also wanted him to be within arm’s reach. 

Steve was outside when I reached the building. I felt his eyes on me as I approached. I walked by him, ignoring his calls for my attention. I made my way to the bathroom in the back of the building and locked myself in. I slid to the floor, face in my hands. I stayed there for ten minutes trying to gather myself. 

I vaguely remember standing to wash my face. I made it through the rest of the work day in a haze. I placed props around children, helped couples decide on backdrops for their engagement photos, and snapped photos of families in dress clothes until we locked the doors at six PM. 

Renee busied herself by cleaning the photo studio while I counted the register in the office. Steve came in after making sure all of the doors were locked. He sat next to me at his desk. 

“Thanks for doing that for me, LexiBaby.”

I cringed. 

“I noticed you took your make up off. You should go without it more often.” 

“Clients don’t typically appreciate it when their photographers have spotty faces,” I said matter of factly. “I’m almost finished.” 

I lost myself in counting the change in the drawer out, so I didn’t notice that Steve had scooted closer to me until his leg touched mine. I pulled my legs to the side and kept counting. He put his hand on the small of my back. I froze. 

“I’ll take care of the money later.” He leaned in toward my face. “I want to take care of you now.” 

“Dude, back the fuck off.” The speed at which I propelled myself out of the chair pushed it backward. 

“C’mon, LexiBaby. I know you’ve had a bad day. I just want to make you feel better.” 

“You know what will make me feel better?” I was shouting. “Never being in the same room with you again.”

“What did I do to you?” He put on an innocent smile. 

“Fuck you. I’m out.” I grabbed my purse from behind the safe and power walked to the door. 

“Hold on!” Steve called out after me. He chased me to the front door. “Stay put,” he grumbled as he grabbed my wrists. 

I considered screaming but I could hear the vacuum in the back of the building. Renee wouldn’t hear me. I did the only thing I could think to do. I slammed my knee into his groin. 

He immediately let go of my wrists and doubled over. I quickly unlocked the door and ran to my car. My thoughts were in overdrive. I imagined every possible, and even improbably, path his actions could have taken me down. 

I drove out to the Grump office with blurry vision. I had to talk to someone. 

“Oh, honey,” Suzy cooed when I met her. “You go on out back to the patio. I’m bringing the boys something to drink. I’ll be right out.” 

Danny was there. My heart skipped a beat. I wanted to run to him so badly, but I was still angry. 

I did as Suzy said. The cool night air felt good against my skin. I leaned against the brick wall with an exhale. Suzy came out with a mug. She knew my go-to for comfort was coffee with too much cream. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. 

I shook my head. 

“Well, we can sit here until you’re ready to talk.” That was not sarcasm. She truly meant it. Suzy could be best described as sugary sweet. I always felt comfortable around here; calm. 

“I quit my job,” I finally admitted and explained to her what happened.

“Oh, you have to report that motherfucker.” 

Hearing Suzy say “motherfucker” elicited a chuckle. 

“I’m going to. I’m still reeling from it all. Today has been fucking shitty, Suzy.” 

“So I’ve heard.” 

Danny must have talked to them about what happened. My chest felt heavy. 

Suzy touched my shoulder. 

“Don’t worry, honey. He’s already gotten the ‘you’re a workaholic’ lecture from both Arin and myself.” 

I sipped my coffee. 

“You’re not wrong to be upset.” Her voice was soft. “But, let him know if you’re still a couple. Dan’s a sensitive guy. He loves you, but he’s not sure how to take your exit this afternoon.” 

“You’re right.” 

“Hey, did you bring your camera with you?” A smooth change of the subject. 

“Mhm.”

“I want to see those pictures you took last week!” 

***

 

The next morning I found out how to report Steve’s behavior. I did everything I was supposed to do and was assured tapes would be pulled and investigation would take place. After that, I shot a text to Danny. 

“Just wanted to let you know I love you. Can we talk it out when you get home?” 

Suzy called soon after I got wrapped up in a new character in my favorite RPG. She told me to get to the office ASAP. 

“What’s up?” I asked when I arrived. 

She flashed a brilliant smile at me. 

“How would you like to join our team?”

“I…what?” 

“Arin and I talked after you left last night. I showed him your pictures. We decided to ask you if you’d like to be our official photographer. We usually rely on our phones for events and things and we do have a filming crew, but we have some big things in the works and a real photographer on staff is something we didn’t realized we needed until we saw how well you capture candor.” 

I had to sit down. Did she really just ask if I wanted to work with them? With my best friends?

“This is so sudden, Suzy.”

“I know. If you need to take some time-“

“Oh no. I’m interested.”

“Sweet! You can start tomorrow! Pack your bags. You’re meeting our boys in Texas.” She handed me a plane ticket. 

I rushed home and started packing. I threw socks, panties, and jeans into my suitcase. I dug into the very back of my closet for something nice to wear to the gaming awards. I found a little black sleeveless dress that I had forgotten was in there. I held it up in front of me. It fell just above my knees. Perfect. I tossed it in my bag with a pair of flat sandals. 

I spent the rest of the night resisting the urge to chew my nails. Danny had not returned my call. I tried to assure myself that he was busy, but when 11 PM rolled around with no response, I found myself feeling that neglected angry feeling that led me to be in this situation in the first place. 

I gave in and called him again. 

No answer. 

I didn’t leave a message.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexi starts work as the Grumps' photographer. Her first job is at the South By Southwest (SXSW) Q&A and Gaming Awards. Danny's sick. Problems are solved.

I landed in Austin with a half hour to spare. Arin had sent me everyone’s room numbers, including my own, and the information about the Q&A panel so I knew exactly where to go. I met Brian at the entrance to the conference room. A few fans were gathered around and I could see that he was eating up every second of it. He waved me over. 

“I’m glad you came!” 

“Danny doesn’t know I’m here,” I blurted out. My face instantly turned hot. 

Brian tossed his head back and laughed. 

“We figured as much. That’s for you two to work out. Today, you are Lexi: Photographer.”

I nodded. 

“Alright, there are already tons of people in there. Many of them may even ask you to take pictures for them with their cameras or phones. You do as you please. Arin just wants shots to document the event. You can set up in the back if you want, or wander around the room.”

“Great. I’ll go on in.” 

Brian did not lie. The room was nearly packed full of people. I took a few test shots around the room to see how the lighting was different in each spot. I decided I would stay along the left and back sides of the room since the fans would be lining up on the opposite side to ask questions. I did not want to create a distraction. My goal was to stay out of sight as much as possible. 

Danny and Arin walked onto the stage right on time. They were all smiles and laughs, but something was off about Danny. His skin shone; his face was flushed. 

“I’m a little under the weather,” he told the audience. He sounded like his sinuses were stopped up. 

The anger I felt turned into guilt, but I had to work through it. 

Danny worked through it, as well. He and Arin were as entertaining as ever. The audience loved them. I was able to capture so many priceless moments.

Just before they said their goodbyes, I slipped out of the room. The physical part of my day was complete, so I went back to my room to work on the editing part. I brewed some coffee with the cute little coffee maker in the room before settling onto the bed with my laptop. I threw myself into enhancing and editing for the next few hours. 

I stopped on a photo of Danny mid-laugh. 

“God, I love him,” I said aloud. 

Someone knocked on the door. It was very late. Who would be knocking? 

I opened the door to see Arin. 

“Oh, hi!” 

“Hey, Lex. I just wanted to come by and say thanks for doing this for us.”

“Thanks for the opportunity. It means the world.” I truly meant it. 

“And I wanted to let you know that, um…” He rubbed his chin, searching for words. “You did a great job this afternoon. I caught a glimpse of you for a second. Not that you have to stay hidden…”

“I find that people photograph better when they aren’t aware of where I happen to be.”

“Uh huh. Well, I’m going to bed.” He turned to go. 

“Hey, wait.” 

He stopped. 

“How’s Danny?” 

“He’s full of cold medicine and sleeping. He’ll probably be in his room until he has to come out tomorrow. Poor guy.”

“Poor guy,” I echoed. “G’night, Arin.” 

Arin had subtly given me two options. Number one was that if Danny was in his room all day tomorrow, I could go to him. Number two was that I wouldn’t have to worry about running into him if i decided to enjoy the festivities before the awards show. 

As much as I wanted to see Danny, it was not a good idea to bring anything up before a big show that may stress him out. He needed all the rest he could get. I enjoyed roaming around with Arin and Brian. We met with fans and other Youtube creators, then had a quick lunch. When Arin said it was time to get ready for sound check, I decided to take a nap. 

****

It is safe to say that the SXSW Gaming Awards is one of the greatest experiences of my life. I had never been in a room full of so much energy. Everyone there was connected through their love of games. It was absolutely beautiful. 

The hosts were about to introduce Starbomb when the crowd started cheering. Danny, Arin, Brian, and TWRP had crept onto the stage, but did not go unnoticed. I took that as my cue to find my spot. I knew I couldn’t stay in the shadows this time. I wanted to capture shots as close as possible, but still wanted to avoid distractions. I knelt down in front of the stage to test an angle and made eye contact with Danny. 

His smile grew when he saw me. My heart fluttered. I gave a little wave with my fingers. 

Watching the bands perform filled me with so much pride. The crowd’s reaction to them was everything I could dream for them. They put on a fantastic show, even with Danny experiencing lower levels of energy than he would normally have. 

I met everyone in the hall as they filed out of the room. The guys from TWRP asked me to take a photo of everyone using their phone. I took a few of my own, as well, before everyone went their separate ways. 

Everyone except for Danny. 

He was standing about ten feet away from me. 

“Hi, Lexi,” he said. His voice was hoarse.

“Hey…”

“You look stunning.” He took a step toward me. 

Another step, followed by another. He was within arm’s reach. 

“Thanks. You did great up there. How are you feeling?” 

“Terrible. But also fan-fucking-tastic.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I missed your calls. I’ve slept more the last four days than I have in the last two weeks.” 

I sat my camera down and closed the gap between us. I wrapped my arms around him as tightly as possible. I mashed my cheek against his chest. He rested his chin on top of my head and hugged me back. He was warm through his clothes. Warmer than usual. 

He kissed my head before saying “I need to sit down.” 

I walked with him to a bench in the hallway where I immediately went into Mommy Mode. 

I felt his forehead. 

“Oh, Danny, you’re burning up. Let’s get you upstairs.” 

Once in his room, I started a hot shower for him. While he was standing under the water, I searched the room until I found vapor rub and cold medicine. 

“I’ll be right back,” I called into the bathroom. 

Danny had just stepped out of the shower when I returned. 

“Do you have anything warm to wear?” 

“Foot of the bed,” he answered. 

I found a pair of flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt on the floor and tossed them to him. 

“Just the pants for now.” 

He dressed and sat down on the bed. I handed him a mug of hot green tea. 

“Where did you get this?”

“I never leave home without a stash of tea. I fixed it up while you were in the shower. It may still be too hot to drink.” 

I sat beside him with the vapor rub. 

“Ugh, no,” he whined. “I hate that stuff.” 

“Do you want to breathe?” 

“Do I have to?” 

“Just a little bit.” I rolled my eyes. 

“Fiiiine.” 

I smeared some of the goop onto his chest in a thin layer. 

“See, it’s not so bad.” 

“Says the one who doesn’t have to feel it.” 

“Hush.” I handed him a dose of the cold medicine. “Take this, then sip that tea, Mister.”

I scooted to the other side of the bed. Danny sat his mug down and swung his legs up onto the bed. He curled into fetal position and rested his head on my lap. Instinctively, I began working out the tangles in his hair with my fingers. 

“So, you’re our new Photo Girl?” he asked quietly. 

“Mhm.” 

“Awesome.” 

“Mhm,” I said again. 

“Where are you tonight, Lexi?” 

“Hmm? Oh. I’m right here. Just thinking.” 

“About?” He turned his head so he could look up at me. 

“The last few weeks have been kind of crazy,” I finally began. “My manager made moves on me. I quit that job and started this one. I’ve been angry with you and missed you so bad it hurt all at the same time.” 

Neither of us said anything for a while. Danny was the one to break the silence. 

“Arin got all over my case. Then Suzy came in for Round 2.” He sighed. “I didn’t mean to, but I was putting work before you, just like you said.” He touched my hand. “I’m so fucking sorry, Lexi.” 

“Me too.”

Silence again. 

“Can we promise to talk things out from now on?” I asked. “It sounds simple, but we apparently need to work on that.” 

“Sounds good.”

I went back to playing with his hair until he fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my least favorite one. I wrote it and re-wrote it probably three times. I wrote it from Dan's POV, from a mixture of his and Lexi's. I just couldn't get it to work, so I stuck with doing it from Lexi's. For some reason, she was speaking to me a little more. She feels a little whiny and irrational sometimes, but I suppose it makes sense. I also broke this one into chapters for easier reading. 
> 
> I couldn't NOT write this though. The idea was there, I just couldn't make it work as well as I had hoped.


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